Past and Present Problems
by Princess-Leilia
Summary: Han & Leia are captured by slavers and find themselves in a cell w/someone from Han's past. Will this person cause problems between H &L? Rated PG13 just to be safe :) Please R/R!!!!
1. Captured

1 Disclaimer: I don't own any of these characters (much to my chagrin, lol, cuz I'd be rich!), and I'm not making any money off this story whatsoever! So please don't sue me!  
  
2  
  
3 This story takes place ten years after ROTJ. Han finds himself, Leia, and Chewie captured by slavers, but that's not all he finds. He finds that someone he thought was dead is still alive and stuck in the same cell as him. Please lemme know what you think! All feedback is appreciated and please check out my other story if you haven't already:  
  
4 Leia's Son  
  
  
  
5 Past and Present Problems  
  
"Ouch! Watch it! What are you doing with my wife?" Han yelled as three guards shoved him in a cell.  
  
"That's none of your concern," one of the guards snootily replied as he shut old fashioned metal door with bars over the window.  
  
"It will be if you do anything to her," Han said, moving away from the door. He noticed he wasn't alone in the cell that's only furnishings were two bunks. The other occupant was a female that looked strangely familiar. No, it can't be her. She's dead! Han thought.  
  
"Hello, Solo," the woman replied. "Remember me?"  
  
"B…B…Bria," Han stuttered, surprised.  
  
"Very good. Give him a prize," Bria said, smiling. "How ya been, Han?"  
  
"Let's see: I'm stuck in a cell with the woman who betrayed me years ago and I thought was dead, and my wife and best friend are somewhere else having the gods-know-what done to them," Han said sarcastically, "I'd say I'm doing pretty good."  
  
"Calm down," Bria said, soothingly. "Still mad about that betrayal, I see."  
  
"Of course I am, Bria. That really hurt and it turned a lot of my friends against me," Han replied. "And how is it that you're still alive? Fett told me you were dead."  
  
"I was captured by the other side during that battle, and they brought me here," Bria told Han.  
  
"And where exactly is here?" Han asked, wanting some answers.  
  
"I'm not sure, but I think it's an underground labor camp that is independent from the Empire, but the Empire sends some of its prisoners here," Bria replied. "That's all I've been able to figure out and I've been here awhile. How is it that you're here? I've heard about your climb to fame and all the stories about you as a New Republic hero. Did the Empire capture you?"  
  
"How'd you hear about all of that stuff?" Han asked, genuinely curious.  
  
"Oh I have my sources. I even got to watch your wedding on a holocam. Never thought you would have gotten married, much less letting the media tape it," Bria said. "You've really changed."  
  
"Nah, sure I've changed a little bit, but not that much," Han replied looking uncomfortable.  
  
"You never answered my question about how you got here," Bria said, slightly annoyed.  
  
"I went with Leia on one of her diplomatic visits, and we got captured on the way back to Coruscant and we ended up here," Han said, glancing out the barred window for the fifteenth time since he got in the cell.  
  
"Don't worry, I'm sure they didn't harm the princess," Bria said, trying to calm him down.  
  
"How would you know?" Han asked, getting up and starting to pace. "And what about Chewie?"  
  
"I'm not so sure about him," Bria said truthfully, "He'll probably be sent to the mines where if the labor does kill you, falling rock will instead. That's probably where you'll be sent, too."  
  
"And where is your labor needed? I can't see you working in the mines," Han said with a sneer.  
  
"I work in the cantina serving drinks. I imagine that's where your wife will end up, too. That's where all the pretty girls go," Bria said, gauging Han's reaction.  
  
"Sith," Han said and at that moment the door opened and the guards shoved in an unconscious Leia. She looked as though she had been drugged and possibly tortured Or worse, Han thought. Han caught her before she hit the ground and laid her in one of the two bunks. He kneeled over her and felt her neck for a pulse. It was faint, but definitely there. Bria watched all of this, noting how gentle Han was with his wife. He's definitely changed Bria thought. Just then Leia grunted and rolled over towards Han and opened her eyes. "Are you okay?" Han asked. "What did they do to you?"  
  
"They tortured me, but I'm alright," Leia said, trying to smile a little to confirm what she said. Then noticing someone else was in the cell she whispered, "nothing near as horrible as what Vader did, though."  
  
"Why did they do that?" Han asked, concerned.  
  
"They started touching me in places they shouldn't have, and I got mad and struggled and said they were going to teach me a lesson, and I thought they were going to…well…you know, but they tortured me instead," Leia replied. She looked relieved that they didn't do the former.  
  
"They'll pay, sweetheart. I'll make um pay," Han told Leia with a look of vengeance in his eye.  
  
"And how are you going to do that, Han?" Leia asked, slightly amused and comforted that she was with Han now and he would protect her.  
  
"I'm not sure yet, but they will," Han said smiling down at her and looking in her dark eyes. He leaned down to kiss her. Their situation suddenly didn't look so hopeless. At least they had each other. At that moment no one existed to Han and Leia except each other.  
  
  
  
************  
  
TBC…. 


	2. Meeting the Ex

Disclaimer: See Chapter 1   
  
Sorry…this chapter is extremely short!  
  
A short while later, supper came although none of the cell's occupants would have called   
it food. The "meal" consisted of one stale hard-as-rock ration bar apiece and a package   
of mineral water that had tiny bugs floating in it. None of them wouldn't have eaten if   
the hadn't been hungry, but all of them were.  
  
When they had finished eating, there was a short silence that Han broke, "Leia, I'd like   
you to meet Bria, Bria I'd like you to meet my wife, Leia."  
  
"It's nice to meet you," Bria said, being as polite as she could.  
  
"You, too," Leia said, "Han told me about you once, but he told me you were dead."  
  
"The Empire faked my death and sent me here," Bria replied, surprised Han had told his   
wife about her at all.  
  
"I suppose you would know some interesting stories from Han's past," Leia said, smiling   
at the expression her words brought to Han's face.  
  
"That doesn't mean she's gonna tell ya, sweetheart," Han said jokingly enough, but he   
really didn't want Bria telling Leia anything. He was afraid Bria would tell Leia some   
things that would cause Leia to look at him with a look of hatred or worse yet, pity.  
  
"I think for now, anyway, I'm not going to say anything, that is if you play nice, Solo,"   
Bria said with a grin.  
  
TBC… 


	3. Jealousy

Disclaimer: See Chapter 1  
  
The three of them talked for awhile because of the lack of anything better to do. Bria   
found the princess to be not at all what she expected. Bria figured she would be stuck up   
and full of herself, but to Bria's dismay, she wasn't. Not at all! Leia seemed to be very   
caring and very much in love with the ex-smuggler. Bria tried very desperately to find   
some quality of Leia's that she didn't like, but she couldn't, not for awhile anyway. Leia   
was too much like a younger version of herself: dedicated to lost causes, brave to a fault,   
and very much in love.   
  
Then something hit Bria, and it hit her hard. She was jealous of Leia and her happiness.   
After all, Leia had married the man that Bria still loved, she had a wonderful family: two   
boys and a girl, a lot of friends and people who looked up to and admired her, and she   
was beautiful.   
  
But the thing Bria was the most jealous of was the way Han looked at her. Bria could tell   
that Leia was everything to him, much more than Bria had ever been. Han loved her   
more than his life, she realized, and more than his freedom, which he had given up   
without a second thought, to marry her and settle down and start a family.  
  
Yes, there were now a lot of reasons for Bria to despise Leia Organa [I]Solo[/I], but the   
thing that made Bria the most angry was the thought that Leia stole Han away from her.   
And no one took away Bria Tharen's man!   
  
No one!  
  
*********  
A couple hours later, as the three occupants of the cell were becoming quite tired,   
sleeping preparations began to be made.   
  
"I'll be fine sleeping on the floor," Han tried to convince the two women.  
  
"No, you won't, Han," Leia argued, "the floor's extremely cold. You'd freeze before,   
whatever passes for morning on this rock, comes."  
  
"She's right, Han," Bria agreed, "You can't do that."  
  
"Yes, it's cold, but Leia," Han said, "you're going to be awfully smushed on the cot. I   
bet I'd take up most of it."  
  
"That's alright. I'll just have to sleep on top of you," Leia said, with a sheepish grin I'd   
like to get on top of you right now Han thought with a smile of his own. But he couldn't   
with Bria in the room. D*mn her! She'd cause him enough problems years ago, and   
somehow he knew she'd cause some more problems now. Why can't people just stay   
dead? He thought Did he really wish her to still be dead? No, he realized, he didn't. She   
had caused him a lot of pain, but he hadn't wished her death then and he sure wouldn't   
now.  
  
"Ok, I guess it's settled then," Han said, lying down on the small cot and pulling back   
what-passed-for-a-blanket. He opened up his arms and motioned for his wife, "C'mere,   
sweetheart."   
  
She obliged him quite readily. Bria laid down on her own cot, trying not to look at them.   
She turned over and faced the wall. As Leia stretched out almost totally on top of Han,   
he pulled the blanket over them. She kissed him lightly on the lips, not wanting to make   
a big scene in front of Bria. Leia moved around a bit until she was comfortable. Han   
found that he didn't mind this position a bit. Not at all.  
  
**********  
  
TBC…. 


	4. Ronka

Disclaimer: See Chapter 1  
  
Leia woke up first. She had hardly slept at all. She found lying on top of Han the way   
she was to be quite distracting and after awhile, not very comfortable. Then the cell   
turned from semi-cold to freezing. The blanket, which was filled with holes and very   
coarse, provided little warmth. Han was her only source of warmth, she found, both   
physically and spiritually. With him there, Leia felt safe. She knew that he would   
protect her with his life and do anything to keep her from harm.  
  
"Mornin', sweetheart," Han smiled up at her, "how are you today?"  
  
"Well, considering I'm cold, hungry, tired, and stuck in this cell, not bad," Leia said   
sarcastically, "how about you?"  
  
"Nice to know that even in these times, you still have your beauty and that dry wit," Han   
replied with a smirk. He was trying to get Leia to forget about their predicament for the   
moment because there wasn't anything they could do to get out. Han had been walking   
around the narrow cell last night while they all had been talking and telling stories,   
looking for a way out. He couldn't find one. Their best bet was to jump the guards, he   
figured, which would be no easy task because they were well armed and in great   
numbers.  
  
Bria awoke sometime later to the sound of Han and Leia's hushed voices. At first Bria   
was startled, not having cell mates since Cerila was killed, which was at least several   
weeks ago. Bria still shuddered at the thought of how brutally Cerila had been killed.   
Cerila had been an example to both idealistic and jaded slaves who longed for freedom.   
Bria quickly pushed all thoughts of the girl and her death from her mind. Now was no   
time to think of such things!  
  
The creaky cell door came open and Han and Leia jumped, startled. Bria, who was used   
to it, slowly rose to her feet.   
  
"Ahhhh, two new slaves," one of the four men who stepped in said. He looked as though   
he had a position of higher authority than the other three. "My name is Ronka. I'm in   
charge here."  
  
"You sound proud, although I can't imagine why. Keeping slaves is an atrocity that can   
not be tolerated," Leia said in her most regal tone.  
  
The man named Ronka made a gesture and two guards came up, each grabbing her by the   
upper arm. Leia kicked and tried to get away. "Feisty, isn't she," Ronka said to no one   
in particular, "but she will soon learn her place. Pretty, too, and young, can't be more   
than early twenties. I think she will do well in the cantina, very well indeed!"  
  
Leia exchanged a look with Han. To the average person, she would have looked brave   
and ready for anything. She did to Han, too, but he saw something else there. Leia was   
slightly afraid. He saw another glint in her eye, one that spoke of amusement. Early   
twenties? Although Han didn't think she looked quite that young, she did look quite a bit   
younger than her age of 32. It was her eyes, he decided, that had seen so much death,   
that wouldn't let her look that young. Her looking young may not be such a good thing   
here, though, Han thought. He was scared for her and what they might do to her. He   
didn't know what he'd do if one of these slavers hurt his wife, but it wouldn't be pretty!  
  
**********  
TBC…Where is Han off to, and where's Chewie? Those questions will be answered in   
the next installments of this story, so stay tuned! 


	5. Preparing for the Job

Disclaimer: See Chapter 1  
  
Shortly after Ronka left, a few of tall, muscular guards came in and seized Han. He tried to struggle, but they were too strong for him. Another group of them came for Leia and Bria.  
  
"Where are they taking Han?" Leia asked, worriedly.  
  
"Probably to the mines," Bria replied, noticing how Leia wasn't concerned with where she was going, but where her husband was going.  
  
Leia tried to keep track of what directions they were going as they weaved around through the corridors. That way, it would be easier to attempt an escape. Finally, after about 15 minutes of walking, and the guards prodding them in the back with their blasters to keep them moving, they made it to an old fashioned wooden door. One of the guards punched in a code. Leia tried to watch, but he typed it in way to fast. The two guards proceeded by shoving Leia and Bria through the door and then leaving. ********** "This way," Bria said, pointing to one of the many doors, which led out of the room they were now in. Each one had a guard posted at it. Bria opened one of the doors and ushered Leia in.  
  
There were about five other girls in the tiny room, and they all rushed over to Leia as she entered.  
  
Leia was showered with a thousand questions. "Where did you come from?" "Are you new?" "Why are you here?" "What's you name?"  
  
"My name is Lanara," Leia replied, "and I came from one of the core worlds. I'm not to sure how I got here or why I am here, for that matter. Does that answer all your questions?"  
  
"Are you married?" one of the girls asked with a dreamy look in her eyes. "None of us here are. Most of us were captured as children."  
  
"I'm sorry," Leia said, "that must be horrible. Yes, I am married."  
  
"You're so lucky!" another girl exclaimed, "is he handsome?"  
  
Leia almost laughed at the expressions on all the girls' faces. They were totally in awe of her, "Yes," Leia said. "Ok, ok," Bria said, "all of you need to finish getting ready, and.uh.Lanara, come with me; we need to get you an outfit."  
  
Leia followed her over to a closet in the back of the small room. Inside, there were perhaps two dozen outfits, each slightly different, but all, Leia realized, would show a lot of skin.  
  
Bria hunted through the rack for a few minutes, looking for one that would fit Leia. "Here," Bria said as she finally found one. "Let's see how it fits. Go over behind that curtain over there and change."  
  
Leia complied, but not happily. Bria rolled her eyes as Leia went behind the curtain. She had noticed Leia trying to memorize the maze that they were led through earlier. Bria figured that Leia, like herself, would eventually give up hope of trying to escape. It just wasn't possible. The security was too tight and the corridors were too confusing. The only time Bria had even come close was when a man tried to sneak out back to have his way with her. That had been years ago, though, when she was younger. She had tried numerous times to jump the guards that came in her cell, but that wasn't possible either. They were too strong and too numerous.  
  
Leia came out a few minutes later looking none too happy. Her red sequenced outfit was tight, low cut, and the skirt was quite short. "What don't like your outfit?" Bria asked sarcastically.  
  
Leia just glared at her. B*tch, Leia thought as she went over to the mirror.  
  
"I'll put you makeup on," one of the girls offered.  
  
"Alright," Leia said trying to smile and praying she wouldn't look even more like a lady of the evening once it was on.  
  
A short time later the girl was done. "Here, take a look," the girl said moving away from the mirror, "you didn't need much, just enough to accent your eyes and cheek bones. The only thing left now is your hair. I'm not too good with long hair, so I guess you'll have to do it your self. Just do something simple."  
  
Leia unbound her hair and ran a brush through it. She braided it and wrapped it into a bun, keeping it in place with the pins that had already been in her hair.  
  
Bria was finished getting herself ready a short while later. Her green outfit was a little more modest than Leia's, but not much. The girls all filed out of the room, Bria and Leia taking up the rear.  
  
A guard opened the door that led into the cantina. About six other girls were already inside the large room. The door that led out into the outside world had five guards posted at it to keep the girls from escaping.  
  
Great, Leia thought, this is just great! 


	6. First Day

Disclaimer: See Chapter 1  
  
************  
  
"Ahhhh.you must be the new girl Master Ronka was speaking of. He was definitely right about you!" a short, fat, finely dressed man said coming out of a room behind the bar, speaking of something Ronka must have said to him. Although he gave no indication to what it was, it wasn't too hard for Leia or anyone else in the cantina to guess. "We open in about an hour. Sileke, show her what tables she'll be working and inform her how to act."  
  
"Yes, sir," Sileke said, moving away from the other girls and motioning Leia to follow her to the other side of the cantina. "You get Ralei's old tables, I guess, since I don't see her here. I suppose you're replacing her. Out with the old in with the new is the motto here."  
  
Sileke babbled on for awhile about what Leia should do as a waitress: how she should handle "touchy customers", serve drinks, where to put money, and the punishments for not following orders. Sileke finished up just as the first humaniod walked in.  
  
*************  
  
"This is what you're supposed to do. You use the pick to get the gold, then you put the good pieces, like this one, in that crate, the okay ones in that crate, and the bad ones, well you just drop um on the ground. Get it?" Gelosjo, a tall, muscular man, asked Han once he was done instructing him on what to do.  
  
"No, can you go over it again," Han replied sarcastically.  
  
"Oh, a wise guy, eh?" Gelosjo said. "Well, we could use some humor here, but I think the guards will soon put you in your place."  
  
"Can't wait," Han replied, then asked, "What exactly do they do to put you in your place?"  
  
"Well, it depends how bored and creative the guards are on that particular day, but let's just say it's not pretty," Gelosjo replied. Han thought of Leia at that instant and hoped she did as she was told for once. He didn't want anything to happen to her. "We better get to work now."  
  
"I thought you'd never say that," Han said to his fellow slave. "Can't you see I've been jumping with enthusiasm at the prospect of making some guy rich?"  
  
**************  
  
The hours passed slowly for Leia, although she was extremely busy. She was tired and her feet hurt, but she had to keep working. She had already stopped once today, and a guard very quietly, so he wouldn't draw attention to them, threatened to do things to her that Leia would never repeat.  
  
Leia was also tired of being hit on. Almost every human and alien that she had walked by had and it was driving her insane. She didn't even want to think about what each one had in mind for her and luckily, she didn't have time to, being as busy as she was.  
  
"You must be new here. I've never seen you before," a Selonian said to Leia as she came to see what he wanted to drink.  
  
"I guess you could say this cantina captured my attention," Leia said. The Selonian totally missed the double meaning to the statement. "What can I get you?"  
  
"A Corellian ale," he replied. That's what Han always gets, Leia thought. She wondered what he was doing right now and hoped he wouldn't get himself killed. He hated slavery and wasn't afraid to stand up for someone being abused. That selfless attitude could get himself killed in a situation like this, Leia realized and hoped he wouldn't do anything stupid, although if his reputation was anything to go by, the prospect of him staying out of trouble didn't look so good. Oh, Han, behave yourself, Leia thought, I really don't want a dead husband.  
  
*********** 


	7. Back in the Cell

Disclaimer: See Chapter 1  
  
Leia's first day in the cantina was finally over. After her and the other girls had cleaned up, Leia and Bria were led back to their cell. Leia laid down on one of the bunks the instant she got in the cell. She felt as though her feet were going to fall off because she'd been on them all day. Bria followed suit and sat down on her bunk. The silence continued until their supper was brought in. Both Leia and Bria hadn't ate since the previous night, so both were starving.  
  
"We need to save some for Han," Leia said matter-of-factly, wondering where the hell he was.  
  
"Yeah, I guess we better," Bria agreed and started laying some on the lid of one of the containers. This food was just as distasteful as the night before's. They continued eating in silence, not having talked to each other since the dressing room incident earlier in the day. Leia didn't trust Bria at all, having heard what she'd done to Han all those years ago and how she was treating Leia now. The only thing that kept Leia from screaming at her was the fact that there wasn't a d*mn thing that would change. In fact it would make matters worse. Leia and Han would still be stuck in the same cell as Bria, and Leia would still have to spend the day with Bria in the cantina. Also, Leia realized that if she was in Bria's shoes that she might act the same way. Leia was positive that Bria was jealous of her. After all, she had gotten Han and Bria hadn't.  
  
At the moment of that realization, Han was shoved into the cell. He nearly tripped, but Leia jumped up and helped him to keep his balance. "Are you all right?" she asked worriedly.  
  
"Yeah, I'm fine," Han replied gingerly sitting down on the bunk and drawing Leia down with him. "One of the guards decided he didn't like me so he roughed me up a bit."  
  
"What did you say to him?" Leia asked, knowing there was more to it than that.  
  
"Nothing that would have gotten him angry at me," Han replied, innocently, "I only told him that a bantha was prettier than him and smarter."  
  
Leia tried to hold back a grin that was tugging at the corners of her mouth, but failed miserably. "Your right there was no reason for him to hit you," she said sarcastically. "Where does it hurt?"  
  
"Awww.I'm fine, Leia," Han said trying to push her away and get up He saw the masked hurt on her face, and finished, "Let me get something to eat and then you can look at it."  
  
"Oh, alright," she said, sitting down on the floor next to him and giving him his lid of food.  
  
"Not too generous on the food are they?" Han asked.  
  
"No, not at all," Bria replied, "You get used to it in time, though."  
  
"No one should have to," Han said to Bria without looking up from his food. He could feel the tension between Bria and Leia like it was a visible thing and wondered what had happened and who had said what. He decided he would ask Leia tonight while Bria was sleeping. It was just his luck, not only was he, his wife, and his best friend, who he hadn't seen all day, captured by slavers, but he was stuck in a cell with his "dead" ex- girlfriend, who wasn't getting along with his wife.  
  
***********  
  
A little while later, Leia asked Han to look at his injuries, and he hesitantly agreed. Han pulled off his shirt so Leia could get a good look at his back, where it hurt the most.  
  
"It's red, Han, but I don't see any bruising," Leia said, studying his back," but I bet you'll have bruises come morning. Where else?"  
  
"The idiot also hit me in the face a couple times," Han said, pointing to a couple spots, one under his chin and one under his nose. "I think my nose might be broken, too."  
  
"It doesn't appear to be," Leia said, touching it lightly. "I wish we had some painkillers or something to give you."  
  
"It's really not that.ouch," Han said as Leia touched the side of his face. Han tried to pull away, but Leia had a good grip on his arm and wouldn't let him.  
  
"Sorry," Leia said, sheepishly, "I saw a med kit today, so I'll try to take a few things out of it tomorrow and bring them here. That's not going to help to much now, though, is it?"  
  
"Nah, that's alright. The pain won't be so bad tomorrow. What if they catch you smuggling things out of it?" Han said, more worried about her safety than his injuries.  
  
She just shrugged. She had a pretty good idea what they'd do, but she didn't plan on getting caught, and she definitely didn't want Han worrying about her. "Why don't you lay down and try to get some rest?" she said.  
  
"That sounds nice, but I think you should, too," Han said, pulling her down under him. "Sorry, I can't lay on my back. I'll try not to put too much weight on you."  
  
"That's alright," Leia said, pulling him closer. Han laid his head on her shoulder all pulled the covers on top of them.  
  
**************** 


	8. Bria & Han

Disclaimer: See Chapter 1  
  
****************  
  
Bria really wanted to talk to Han alone. She wanted to hear for herself how he had really been faring for the last thirteen years or so. She wanted to know if he really loved Leia or if it was just an act and if he still loved her. Bria, as much as she tried to deny, was still very much in love with Han Solo and wanted nothing more that to be with him once again. The fact that he was taken made Bria want him more. She wasn't sure how she would go about breaking Han and Leia up, but she was determined to do it, one way or another.  
  
Bria laid in her bunk for awhile pondering this, and after awhile she thought of something she could do. It wasn't very nice, but Bria Tharen didn't care. As long as it got her Han, that was all that mattered.  
  
Suddenly she heard a muffled groan. Bria realized it was Han. She figured it was a groan of pain because surely him and Leia wouldn't do anything with Bria in the room. She looked over at Han and found her hypothesis to be correct. Han was rolling around as much as the small bunk would permit. This woke Leia up, and she tried to get him to lay still. He finally came back to the world of the living. He looked around him and noticed both Leia and Bria staring at him. "I still got it," Han said smugly, "after all these years I've still got it."  
  
"Shut up, flyboy, and lay on your stomach," Leia replied, fighting back a grin.  
  
"And you're still bossy," Han said, obeying her command.  
  
Leia started looking at Han's back and realized she needed to get medical supplies to him and fast. His back was covered with bruises that were swelling horribly. A few minutes later, a couple of guards came for her, so she didn't get to finish looking him over for any other cuts and bruises he might have.  
  
*************  
  
"They take her back to the cantina?" Han asked, hiding his worry.  
  
"Yes," Bria replied.  
  
"And why aren't we being taken anywhere?"  
  
"Well, it's your day off, and they alternate bar maids so it's my day off, too," Bria said, answering his question. "Your wife, on the other hand, doesn't get any days off. Ronka hasn't gotten many new girls in lately, so the younger ones are few in numbers and therefore needed everyday."  
  
"That's just great," Han said sarcastically. "She drawing much attention?"  
  
"Yes," Bria replied truthfully, "I'm surprised no one's figured out just who she is yet."  
  
"Yeah," Han replied, sitting up.  
  
"You probably shouldn't do that," Bria said.  
  
"Why not?" Han asked.  
  
"Your wife won't like it," Bria replied, trying to draw out his feelings, or lack of feelings, for her.  
  
"So what. She won't be back for awhile," Han said.  
  
"And what if I told her?" Bria asked.  
  
Han merely shrugged. "She doesn't control me."  
  
"Are you sure about that? You don't smuggle anymore. You can't tell me that [I]she[/I] didn't have something to do with it," Bria replied. The word "she" was said like a curse.  
  
"Sure, Leia had something to do with it, but I just didn't see the point of doing it anymore, especially if I wanted to be with her," Han said.  
  
"Yeah, but how did you decide to give smuggling up?" Bria asked, digging deeper into his relationship with the princess. "It must have been hard."  
  
"It was a little hard at first, but it was worth it," Han said. "Sometimes I miss the freedom I used to have, though."  
  
"Do you ever regret marrying the princess and settling down?" Bria asked, really wanting to know.  
  
"Hey, what is this 20 questions?" Han asked, getting annoyed. "What's next? Are you gonna ask me when I knew I loved her or if I ever cheated on her?"  
  
"Come on, Han," Bria said, "I haven't talked to you in awhile. Like or not, you've changed and I want to get to know the new you better. So please answer my last question: Do you ever wish you hadn't married her?"  
  
"Fine, but this is the last one," Han said, with a defeated sigh. "You're bossy, too, ya know. No, I don't regret marrying Leia or having kids or giving up smuggling. Sure there are sometimes when things are bad, but they're never bad enough for me to leave Leia and my kids. Nothing ever could be bad enough or good enough, for that matter, that would make me want to leave them. They're all I have, them, Chewie and Luke."  
  
Bria swallowed. He really did seem happy and very in love, but she wasn't sure what it was exactly that he loved. She thought it might be the idea of having a family because he had never had one before, not a real one anyway. It surely wasn't that he loved the princess. There was no way. Han had never liked royalty, and she doubted he did now. It could be because she was rich, powerful, beautiful, and definitely younger. That sounded more likely to Bria's head, but not to her heart. She had decided long ago, though, to ignore the feelings of her heart because in the end, she just got hurt.  
  
*****************  
  
TBC. 


	9. Second Day

Disclaimer: See Chapter 1  
  
***********  
  
After Leia had gotten dressed in her cantina garb for the day, she headed for the med kit. She grabbed out some synthaflesh, ointment, bandages, and painkillers for Han and hid them in her outfit. None of the other girls said anything when she did this. From the lack of supplies, Leia figured they had all done the same from time to time.  
  
This day passed much like the last: very slowly. Leia was tired of the men and their leering looks. And by the end of the day, her patience was wearing thin. She walked over to what she hoped was her last table for the day and asked the human male who was sitting there, "What do you want?"  
  
"What do I want," he repeated, standing up, "to do this." And he felt her up. Leia punched him in the nose and kicked him in the groin. The man grabbed at her again and slapped her. The guards then came over and took Leia away. She hoped that meant she was done for the day and could go back to her cell, but she had a sneaking suspicion that that wasn't the case.  
  
*****************  
  
Han wasn't having that much better of a time in his cell. He was bored out of his mind listening to Bria talk about old times. She had a way of twisting the truth that was driving Han crazy. He had tried correcting her at first, but he just didn't feel like arguing with her anymore.  
  
The one thing she wouldn't touch on was the incident at Toprowa and how she had lied to him there. After all these years, the hurt from that event was still there, Han realized. He didn't know if he would ever be able to forgive her for that. Her lies had turned so many of his friends against him, which had proved disastrous in the years after.  
  
His back was killing him. He really hoped Leia could get those medical supplies.  
  
"Han?" Bria said, "you look pale. How are you feeling?"  
  
"I've been better," Han said, fighting back a groan as he moved slightly.  
  
"Why don't you lay down?" Bria asked moving to help him.  
  
"I can do it myself," Han said shoving her hands away.  
  
"Ok. Ok," Bria said, stepping away. "Your back doesn't look very well. I hope you wife gets those supplies."  
  
"Me, too," Han said through clenched teeth, otherwise he didn't think he would last too much longer. But he had to, for Leia's sake. It was so typical that something like this would happen to him, especially after something good had happened. Han had found an escape route the previous day and had thought of a plan to get there, but he would be in no condition to go now, and Leia and Bria would need him to lead them to the exit. Da*n that guard! Han thought. It was entirely his fault. Had he not said a few choice words to Han, Han never would have gotten angry and threw a punch at him. He could never tell Leia this, so he had made up a story, although she had most likely seen right through it. Like she always did with the rest of his "stories" He hoped she wouldn't let her temper and pride get in the way, like he had, or they would never get out of there alive.  
  
************  
  
Leia soon found herself thrown into a small room. The room had no furniture in it whatsoever, so she was forced to sit on the dirt floor, not that she cared. Awhile later the door opened, and in stepped Ronka and a few guards.  
  
"You will soon learn that it is inappropriate and intolerable to hit customers. And I will not put up with it. This time, I will let it go, but should you do it again, you will regret it. You will regret it very much," Ronka declared. Leia just glared blaster bolts at him, not wanting to know what he would do "next time."  
  
But she was sure there would be a next time. There was no way she could put up with the way she was being treated. She had to get out of this place!  
  
***************  
  
When Leia was brought to her cell a short time later, she noticed Han was looking worse. His skin was paler and his face was clenched in pain.  
  
"Did you bring anything for his wounds?" Bria asked and then stated the obvious, "he's not doing very well."  
  
Leia nodded and stepped over to Han. She reached under her dress where she had tied and stuffed all the supplies she had gotten. "Leia," Han groaned.  
  
"Shhh. I'm right here," she said as she kneeled down and began stroking his hair. Leia handed him the painkillers. "Take these."  
  
Han did as she requested. Leia then set to applying ointment. "This might hurt a little bit, but try to lay still."  
  
Han flinched as little as possible. Leia was relieved when the painkillers finally kicked in. He looked a lot more relaxed then. Leia then applied the synthaflesh and bandages. "There your all set," she said, "now get some sleep. I'll wake you when supper comes."  
  
"Ok," Han said, already half-asleep. Leia sat down next to the bunk and laid her head down next to Han's.  
  
A short time later, "supper" came. Leia gently woke Han and helped him to sit up. As hungry as she was, Leia gave Han both of their shares of the food. He needed his strength, she figured.  
  
Bria watched this and was about to say something right as Han noticed what his wife had done. "As touched as I am by your selflessness, sweetheart, you need to eat."  
  
Han handed her back half the contents on the plate. "You need it more than I do," she answered, but grudgingly accepted it anyway. She didn't feel like arguing and knew that, even with Han in his present condition, she wouldn't win.  
  
They ate in silence for awhile, but then Han finally noticed what Leia was wearing. "Nice outfit," Han commented. "Is that what you wore to work today?"  
  
"Yes, I was a big hit," Leia replied. Han didn't miss the irony of the statement. 


End file.
